You May Be able To Reduce Your Property Taxes! Orange County Property Tax Assesment Information

Earth Day in Fullerton – Some Cool Stuff Around Town!

Every year there are some pretty cool lists that start floating around for Earth Day.  We are reminded of everything from carrying a canvas bag, turn the lights out, re-use, recycle, etc… Those things are great and we should do them everyday but here is a list of specail things to do in Fullerton for Earth Day!

Project Green Fundraiser and Earth Day Fundraiserat Fitness Pizza in Fullerton – I stumbled across this one entirely by accident but I’m glad I did because it looks like a good one!  Come out and support the Boys and Girls Club at ZPizza.  Every in store purchase will earn a raffle ticket for some exciting prizes plus much more. It all begins at 7:30 pm.  Just Added – KROQ!  They will be there playing music and giving stuff away!

The Fullerton Farmer’s Market – How convenient that it is on Earth Day!  They made a special effort to get more “green vendors”. Hopefully you can get there on foot or on your bike and pick up some delicious locally grown fruits and veggies.  I ordered a new custom purse (hello for only $36 bucks) that I will be picking up on Thursday. It is even made with some recycled fabrics.  I can’t wait! 

Buffalo Exchange in Fullerton- How about a ONE DOLLAR SALE!? I love this place! I can trade or sell off clothes I no longer wear and other folks can get their hands on them and I can also get some cool things for me!   Well, even better, this Saturday, April 24th, you can do all that PLUS pick up some major dollar deals!  I couldn’t find anything online about it and of course I don’t have my flyer handy but I did remember reading that  it is also a fundraiser! Get there early for the best selection.

The past couple of years I rode my bike around Fullerton and wrote my “Day in the Life of a Realtor with No Car” blogs but since I am not going to be able to do that this year, I figured I should at leaset give you a decent list of stuff to help celebrate.

If you have any other tips or celebrations for Earth Day in or around Fullerton, please leave your comments!

Remodeled Fullerton Charmer Near Downtown! Open House – Sat., April 3rd, 1:00 to 4:00

1200 W. Amerige – Fullerton listed for $369,000

2 bed

1 bath

940 sq ft plus an additional bonus room

2 car garage with a permitted workshop/studio

Regular Sale! No waiting for the Bank! This lovely home located on highly sought after street in Fullerton has been totally updated! This move in condition home features: An expanded and remodeled kitchen with granite counters,  built in oven and microwave, new cabinets and flooring. This home also features new paint and carpet throughout, an updated bathroom and newly landscaped back yard and two patio areas. It feels much larger than it is and has an added den and a workshop/studio built onto the garage! You wont be disappointed – just move on in!

Fullerton Home For Sale! Open House Sunday, December 13th – Downtown Fullerton Real Estate!

Open House, Saturday December 13^th from 1:00 to 4:00

This Fullerton Home is very special! This single story home near the Muckenthaler and Downtown Fullerton has so many great details; it’s your chance to own your little piece of Fullerton Real Estate!

• 3 Bedrooms
• 1 ¾ Baths – upgraded
• Completely expanded and remodeled kitchen with lots of oak cabinets, corion counters, a pantry and lots of counter space
• A large beautifully landscaped yard with lots of trees (including fruit trees) and a redwood deck
• Newer roof, copper plumbing and electrical
• Newer doors, garage door, dual pane low-e vinyl frame windows with a bay window in the master 
• Cozy family room with wood burning soap-stone stove
• Covered patio area with multiple cabinets and counter-tops for gardening, hobbies or outdoor living.

There is so much more, stop by and see this wonderful Fullerton home for yourself! If you would like a private showing of this home before the open house, please contact me! I would be happy to give you the tour!

Cristal Drake – Prudential California Realty -dre: 01272061

Fullerton Real Estate – October 2009 Sales Stats – Not Too Much Has Changed….

Anyone that has been actively searching for a home in Fullerton (especially their first one) knows exactly what I am talking about.  Inventory is still VERY low in Orange County.    Fullerton Real Estate seems to be in especially high demand, see for yourself!

Fullerton Home Sales October 2009

The Fullerton homes that are in the highest demand are the ones that are less than $500,000.  These homes can command dozens of offers!  Trust me, I know, I had to really jump through some hoops to get an offer accepted for a buyer on a great craftsman home in Downtown Fullerton. There were 48 offers!  Yes, 48! Check out the stats on Fullerton homes that are less than $500,000.

October 2009 Fullerton Home Sales under $500,000

I know you can read but this graph shows the activity for Fullerton Homes that were priced below $500,000 in October 2009:

• 116 homes listed in Fullerton
• 99 went into escrow
• 75 closed

Look at October 2008!  There were three times the listings and about half the sales of October 2009!

I am guessing that most of the ones that did not go into escrow were most likely short sales that received multiple offers but the agent just never changed the status of the listing to reflect this.What does this mean?  It means that buyers are having a tough time right now.  If you are thinking of moving up, this is a great time!  There is a lot more inventory for the move up buyers. You may now even qualify for the extended tax credit.

If you have questions about Fullerton Real Estate, the Tax Credit or anything at all, I would love the opportunity to answer your questions. It is a crazy market right now and you need to be sure to ask someone who knows!

Spend the Day in Downtown Fullerton – Winterfest and Flea Market – Sat., Dec. 6

Saturday, December 6th is the perfect day to get a jump on some holiday Shopping and keep your dollars where you live – Fullerton!

Winterfest – Enjoy a day of Nostalgic shopping in historic Downtown Fullerton plus lots of free events including

• FREE SNOW PLAY!  (behind Heroes in the SOCO parking log)
• Free Balloons, Drinks and Snacks
• Santa (on Wilshire at the North East side of the parking structure next to the park)
• Bounce houses
• Face painting
• Classic cars
• Craft booths
• Food booths
• Holiday entertainment, live bands, caroling
• “Spark of Love” Toy Donation Drop-Off Site (at the Santa booth). Bring an unwrapped toy for a girl or boy!
• Special offers will be available at shops throughout the Downtown.
• Tree lighting ceremony at 5:00pm (in the Downtown Plaza)

The Downtown merchants will be open and you can shop for some unique holiday gifts!  Don’t forget to have lunch or a snack in one of the many fabulous downtown restaurants sponsoring the event!

Winterfest

Want more? You Got it!

The Mercantile Flea Market – is going on the very same day!  The monthly Flea Market features:

• Antiques
• Vintage
• Surplus
• Artists
• And FREE Admission for Happy People!

The Mercantile Market is conveniently located right near the SNOW in the parking lot behind Carpe Diem at 115 S. Harbor (Harbor and Santa Fe).  For more information call:  714-680-9882.

Winterfest Map

See you in Downtown Fullerton on Saturday!

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Cristal Drake -714-423-7525 Realtor (R) at your service…for all your Fullerton Area Real Estate Needs.  Re/Max North Orange County, Fullerton, CA.  Copyright 2008.  Winterfest Image Courtesy of Fullerton Chamber of Commerce.

A Night In Fullerton – The City’s Annual Celebration of Art!

One thing that I love (among many) about Fullerton is the art that you find around town. There are so many talented people here and I am not the only one who thinks so! Presenting:

A Night In Fullerton
Saturday, November 8, 200 8 from 5:00 to 9:00

The City’s annual celebration of the arts offers free music, art and dance programs at various locations around Downtown Fullerton.

All programs are offered free to the public!

A variety of food booths will be available on Wilshire for visitors to grab a snack on their way to the many events offered for the evening. There are also numerous restaurants in the downtown that will be open for business;however, due to the anticipated crowds, reservations are recommended.

So come on out for an evening in lovely Downtown Fullerton and see the art that is offered around town!

Participating Sites:

• First Christian Church
• Fox Theater
• Fullerton College
• Fullerton Museum Center
• Fullerton Public Library
• Hibbleton Art Gallery
• Larson Academy of Irish Dance
• Studio EMP, Inc.
• Village Art Center
• West Coast Conservatory
• Wilshire Avenue Community Church

For more information please call the Fullerton Museum Center at 714-738-6545. Or visit The City of Fullerton Website for a complete list of offerings and map of participating locations.

If you are new to the area or would just like some good recommendations for dinner or anything else, please feel free to comment, check out my other blog entries or give me a call. I am happy to help!

Cristal Drake – Fullerton Area Realtor – Re/Max North Orange County – 714-423-7525

Photo courtesy of the Fullerton Museum Center

A Night In Fullerton

Spare The Air Event in Downtown Fullerton

Get Ready To SPARE THE AIR in Downtown Fullerton, CA

“Don’t Blow It – Good Planets are Hard to Find”…That is the motto for Spare The Air – Orange County Music Festival and Clean Air Campaign scheduled to hit Downtown Fullerton on August 30^th, 2008 from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm.  It will be happening right in the heart of The Soco District!

I help out a great local web site (Fullerton Downtown) by calling up the local restaurants and bars to get their entertainment calendars.  A couple of weeks ago, while making my calls, two restaurants The Slide Bar and The Continental wanted me to make mention of the upcoming Spare The Air mega event that is encouraging everyone to get on-board a great cause!

The idea is to bring awareness to keeping our air clean.  The venue is scheduled to have a number of vendor booths, great food from local area restaurants and entertainment.  Slated to play are Lit, John Easdale, The Used, Death by Stereo and other big names that can not be announced yet.

The event is being held at our very own Transportation Center in Downtown Fullerton, so parking should not be a problem since it is all about sparing our air, take the bus or train downtown! 

This Event is sponsored by KROQ 106.7 so tickets are only $10.67! Hurry, I think this will be a sell out and tickets just went on sale on July 26th.

Enter a chance to win a pair of tickets, leave me a comment.  This is what I would like to know:

1.  What do you regularly do to “Spare the Air”?

2.  How will you get there?  (Since this is all about the environment, I think it is obvious you should try to leave your car at home!

I will be picking a winner from the comments on Wednesday, August 27th.  Good luck!

For more information check out Spare The Air!

The Fullerton Chamber of Commerce is Here to Serve You!

I have always tried to keep my business in the city I live in.  Years ago when I moved to the City of Fullerton, I called up the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce and had their business directory sent out.  Since then I have used it to find the businesses to handle almost all my needs.  What better way to find a vendor/contractor that is accountable and gets involved in the city they serve?

Not too long ago I recommended to a friend that was starting a new business to get involved in the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce too.  She tried it for one year and then did not re-new saying that he thought it was only about other people trying to sell him their wares and that he never received any business.

Oh to the contrary!  I think that people don’t realize what they are receiving when they join the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce.

You are getting a ready made networking platform and an opportunity to get involved with the movers and shakers; the people that conduct business and care about Fullerton.  As a consumer, you are receiving the referral to a tried and true professional!

I love Chamber functions and go to everyone that I can!  It is not about the lunch hour or cocktail mixers (though they are fun) but a chance to meet the wonderful, generous people in your city and to introduce yourself to them.  It is a good way to talk about what is going on in Fullerton and how you might be able to help one another!

Here is a big Shout Out to the Fullerton Chamber Of Commerce, Theresa, Erin and Leah, you ladies are so amazing!  You give out great information and are so supportive of the businesses in the city.  I appreciate all you do for our wonderful city of Fullerton and the businesses here!

Last week’s Fullerton Chamberwas held in the patio in The SOCO District and was sponsored by the Fullerton Downtown Business Association.  Thank you to: Heroes, Roscoes, All Media, Leslie Kristen Interiors, Frati Gelato, and the others for a great BBQ complete with a full bar and live music.  The Patio area in SOCO was such a great location!  We had so much fun.

So next time you are thinking of looking in the phone book for a graphic artist, plumber, caterer or any other business, try the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce first.  Chances are they will have a great contact for you!  If you are Fullerton business, check out the opportunities that the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce has for you!

Fullerton Chamber of Commerce www.fullertonchamber.com 444 N Harbor Blvd # 200 Fullerton, CA 92832 (714) 871-3100 Get directions

Save Money & Look Great – American Vintage Comes to Downtown Fullerton!

To my surprise, a new vintage store came to town.  I have to check out everything new in Downtown Fullerton and this new store was no exception.

The store is immaculate and is set up more like and upscale boutique than a Vintage clothing store.  But if you want some high quality clothes that you won’t see someone else walking down the street in, then this is your place!  I picked up a vintage cashmere sweater for eighteen bucks!  I know it is summer but I will be so happy when I pull this baby out in the fall!  You would pay in excess of $200 for the same thing at the mall. 

American Vintage is located at 210 N. Harbor in Downtown Fullerton, 714-449-9760.  There is no banner yet but it should be up soon.

So, take a trip to Downtown Fullerton and support a great new store in town, you will be glad you did!

Cristal Drake – Fullerton Area Realtor – Re/Max North Orange County – 714-423-7525